Shimla, 05.02.26-Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today addressed a large public meeting at Barthin in the Jhandutta Assembly constituency of Bilaspur district. On this occasion, he announced Rs. 2.5 crore for the construction of the Re-Radoh bridge and a bridge at Dadhog Tappay village.

He also announced that schools at Barthin, Gehadvi and Jhandutta would be brought under the CBSE curriculum. He also announced the opening of a sub-tehsil at Talai, a cooperative bank at Malhot and the upgradation of the Primary Health Centre at Kalol.

He provided financial assistance of Rs. 31,000 each to 16 families affected by a road accident at Bhallu Ghat bridge. He also honoured the family of late Shaurya Chakra awardee Baldev Chand.

The Chief Minister said that for the first time, a Chief Minister from Congress has come from the lower region of Himachal Pradesh. He said he never imagined that someone from an ordinary family would one day get the opportunity to serve the state. He said that the previous BJP government spent Rs. 5,000 crore for political gain instead of distributing it among the people. He said the present government received Rs. 50,000 crore more liabilities from the BJP government, including loans.

Sh. Sukhu said that the present Congress government created new sources of income and shut the doors of corruption. While the government took loans of Rs. 23,000 crore, it repaid Rs. 26,000 crore towards principal and interest.

He said that for 73 years, Himachal Pradesh received grants as per constitutional provisions, but these have now been stopped. He said that 68 percent of the state’s land was forest land and people survive on the remaining 32 percent, which has been ignored.

He called 1^st February a “black day” in Himachal’s history, when the Central Government stopped annual grants of nearly Rs. 10,000 crore. He questioned BJP MPs and MLAs, asking whether they would raise their voice for the Rs. 50,000 crore the state would now lose in five years.

He said this was an attack on the rights of the people and the fight would be taken forward with public support. He added that he was ready to go to Delhi under the leadership of BJP MLAs to fight for rights of Himachal, saying individuals may change but the fight for the state must come first.

The Chief Minister said the state government has reduced the royalty for fishermen from 15 percent to 7.5 percent and it would be reduced further in the future. He said assistance for stray cattle has been increased from Rs. 700 to Rs. 1,200 per animal by the present state govt.

He said there was pressure on him to stop the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), but he did not give in. He said the BJP for ending OPS for government employees in Rajasthan and assured that as long as there is a Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, OPS would not be stopped.

He said the Central Government stopped Rs. 1,600 crore assistance because OPS was implemented. He said that while the state government was providing jobs to youth, the Centre has given the Agniveer scheme, questioning what young people would do after four years of service.

He said the Central team assessed disaster losses at Rs. 9,300 crore, but BJP MPs remained silent in Parliament and did not raise a single question. He said he personally visited every disaster-affected area, including Jhandutta.

Without people even asking, the government increased compensation for collapsed houses from Rs. 1.5 lakh to Rs. 7 lakh. Rent assistance of Rs.10,000 in towns and Rs. 5,000 in villages was provided. He said sharing people’s pain is real change in governance.

He accused the BJP of attempting to buy democracy and topple the government. Nine MLAs left the government, and for the first time in the country’s history, independent MLAs staged a protest to get their resignations accepted. However, with public support, Congress again reached a strength of 40 MLAs.

He said Congress leader Sonia Gandhi introduced MGNREGA to provide employment, but the present Central Government has weakened the scheme and taken away job opportunities. BJP MPs, he said, remained silent on this issue as well.
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today inaugurated and laid foundation stones for four development projects worth Rs. 42.43 crore in Barthin, in the Jhandutta Assembly Constituency of Bilaspur district.

Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated the administrative building of the Government Polytechnic, Kalol, named after Param Vir Chakra awardee Naib Subedar Sanjay Kumar constructed at a cost of Rs. 3.30 crore.

Apart from this the Chief Minister lays foundation stone for the up-gradation of the Ghumarwin-Barthin-Shahtalai road at a cost of Rs. 12.88 crore, the revised sewerage scheme for Shahtalai town costing Rs. 25 crore and the beautification of Charan Ganga at Shahtalai to be completed at a cost of Rs. 1.25 crore.

Earlier, the Chief Minister received a grand welcome on reaching Barthin.
Congress leader Vivek Kumar welcomed the Chief Minister and praised his efforts to take Himachal forward. He said despite facing major natural disasters, the Chief Minister has stood day and night with the people and has increased many-fold compensation for disaster-affected families.

Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, former MLAs Bumbar Thakur and Biru Ram Kishore, District Congress President Anjana Dhiman, Congress leader Subhash Dadhwalia, Deputy Commissioner Bilaspur Rahul Kumar, SP Sandeep Dhawal